Can never go wrong with a 308. Most any modern made bolt action is good by design. Need good glass. That will put you over the $400 budget. Better a to have a cheap rifle with an expensive scope than vice-a-versa. I love my Leupolds.

The Ruger would be a fine rifle for your average hunting use. Or you can find some Remington 700's around $400 if you really shop around or the new 783 from Remington.

I paid $299.99 after tax on my Savage Axis .308... decent rifle, a few flaws that I have had to modify. Wish I had done a little more research, saved a few more $$$ and bought something a little nicer.. I'm currently looking into getting a Remington 700 in .308.

The .308 is an awesome round. good killing power, not too much recoil, and good ballistics while still being a fairly cheap rifle round. we reload for every center fire rifle we (my brothers and I) own. Personally my gun really likes 46 grains of reloader 17 powder and 150gr Nosler Hunting ballistic tips.

NRA and DU member, are you? if not you should be!

rabbitdundied wrote: I use my mojos in places I don't want birds to land.

xrated wrote:I have nothing if you want to stick in 308 as I use a Winchester 30-30 we bought used 15 or so years ago.

i was considering the marlin 336 in 30-30 but i ruled it out because it just doesnt have the accuracy for me and i prefer the feel of a bolt gun better

Myth on accuracy lacking in the 30-30.

Where in the country are you located for hunting?

i live in SE WI and have a couple different areas that i can hunt. i can go with my buddy in kenosha county where the shots are 100 yard to 200 yards, with my regular mentor in crawford county where the shots can get to 100 yards or with some of my dads friends. so i guess u can say south Wi.

thomas I hunt northern MN where the shots are about your range. My personal longest has been 125 with the 30-30. I have a couple lanes that reach towards 200 and while I have never taken that shot I have no doubt if I sighted in for 200 the gun would produce.

Then again I might have a fluke of a Winchester in that we paid 150 for the rifle and scope and have seen groups as good as 3/4" at 100 from it.

Iron sights and the nut behind the trigger are often the downfall of 30/30 accuracy at 150 yds and less, I would guess.Myself, I wouldn't shoot at a deer farther than about forty yds with iron sights. I'm liable to hit him anywhere.

I won't argue the fact that the 30-30 Win cartridge is a good deer killer and a good pig stopper also. Fact is it's limited by the platform it's in, the 94 Win and 336 Marlin. The 94 is light and very handi. The Marlin is easier to scope and a littler heavier. Their limited range limit them to brush guns. The choice of 308 Win is far better. I would have no problem with a 400 yard shot with my 308. 300 Savage, though obscure, is a very good choice too. There are lever guns chambered for these cartridges but they are out of his price range.

There are I believe three rifles that fit your bill. Savage 110, Mossberg ATX and Ruger American. I would scrap the glass on all of them and buy a Leupold VX II 2x7 or 3x9. My other suggestion is take it to a gunsmith (new or used) and have it cleaned, trigger adjusted, scope mounts checked and the stock adjusted. Make sure the stock fits the action well, is toqued to spec, barrel is free floating and the LOP is set for you. For every penny a company puts into the production of a rifle they have to charge six cents more. Small details suffer and small details will mean a lot in accuracy.

By the way in my experience and reading the Savage is the most accurate rifle out of the box.